Al MacInnis, famed for a shot hard enough to batter down the walls of a city, never did it. Phil Housley, capable of feathering a puck through three sets of skates on the tape while confined in a windowless room with the light switch off, either.

Indisputably. But the fact remains that no defenceman has ever led the Calgary Flames in scoring in a season.

Unsurprisingly, Hall of Famer MacInnis narrowly missed out, a runner-up three times, including an immaculate 1990-91 season when his mind-blowing 103 points from the back end fell one short of Theo Fleury.

Housley finished second in ’98-99.

Well, with a dozen games left on the 2013-2014 docket, Giordano finds himself only three points off the top rung.

In comparison to the MacInnis years, say, a relatively low rung, to be sure, but it’s still the top one, nevertheless.

The pixieish Jiri Hudler, a sublime conjuror when the mood strikes, has returned from injury and is apt to have a final say in Giordano’s assault on history. But still, in the month of March, among all players only Claude Giroux, Mike Cammalleri and Tyler Seguin have accounted for more points than the 15 rung up by No. 5.

So the signs are unmistakably there.

That Giordano tops the Flames in ice time (25:14 per night) and plus-minus (+11) and ranks fifth in hits (89) is pretty standard fare around here. We’ve become accustomed, even maybe to the point of taking for granted, to his workaholic, heart-on-the-sleeve, give-no-quarter attitude by now.

What’s really evolved in Bob Hartley’s first full season in charge is the attacking side of Giordano’s game: Tied for the lead in assists (31) on the team and second in shots (155), he’s already set a career high in goals (12) and equalled his career best point total (43). Despite missing those 13 games due to a broken ankle.

“It’s a whole team thing,” argues Giordano, “not just me. We’re all told by our coaches to jump up from the back end. Look at all our D. Look at Brodes. He’s had career highs, too. And that’s because our mindset is ‘If we get chances, we’re going.’ I think every one of us is more confident now, in our offensive decision-making. I know I am. We’re being trusted to make the right read and join the rush.

“It’s contagious.”

Right now, the man’s hitting the offensive holes with the power and precision of a Jon Cornish.

“I don’t want one trick-ponies on defence,” says Hartley. “I just told (Tyler) Wotherspoon this morning ‘OK, you’ve jumped in the water. Now swim.’ I want guys who have the intelligence, the common sense, to jump into the rush when it’s there. My favourite light is green.

“You look at the way we’ve been scoring goals. How tight a group we are.

In attack. In defence. On the PK. On the PP. Five-aside. In the last minute, ahead or behind.

No defenceman in hockey, anywhere, is in finer form at the moment.

Ain’t buying it? OK. Name one.

“For sure, he’s up there, with the best,” lauds Hartley. “For sure. I really believe, I’ll go as far as this — if we’d had a full season last year, Gio would’ve been on the Canadian Olympic Team for Russia. No doubt in my mind.

“He empties himself every game. Not a drop left. Know when I had no doubt that he was our new captain? The last game in Chicago last year. We’re out of the playoffs, everybody’s minds are already on summer and he’s out there blocking shots by Duncan Keith and Seabrook. Watching that game, watching that commitment when it would’ve easier to get out of the way with those guys loading up, just put the cherry on top of the sundae in my mind. My only candidate.

“Gio never takes an easy day. He does things with pride. He’s seeking perfection. And he’s so much fun to work with, he’s always happy, always open-minded. Ask him a question, you always get the truth and you always get an answer full of common sense.”

The isn’t just a local crush, understand. The HNIC boys were giving were pitching Giordano some Norris Trophy woo during on intermission of Saturday’s dismantling-of-the woebegotten-Oilers telecast, mentioning him in the same breath as the NHL’s current Big Five — Chara, Suter, Keith, Weber and Doughty.

“Pretty cool to hear,” says Giordano.

And fully warranted.

“This is a guy who just keeps elevating his game; keeps climbing,” says Hartley. “Pretty soon he’ll be on top of the mountain.”

Stuck in a playoff-less desert that long ago was one of the game’s oasis, it has taken a while for a wide-ranging spotlight to alight on Mark Giordano.

He’s caught in its glare now.

Despite those props from his HNIC fans, though, it’s hard to see him being on the Norris radar come voting time. Guys languishing on mid-20s teams in the standings aren’t generally required to drag their tuxes out of mothballs and practice witty, yet sincere, acceptance speeches in front of mirrors, no matter how individually efficient, or indispensable, they may be.

But this year, Mark Giordano could still make local history; do something that neither MacInnis nor Housley nor Suter could. And someday, the individual hardware will happen. Because nowadays not only is that possibility alive in the imagination of an appreciative city, it’s spread to the four corners of the hockey world.

“We used to have him all to ourselves,” muses Hartley. “We used to call Gio ‘the best-kept secret in the NHL.’ ”

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Johnson: Captain Mark Giordano in running to be first defenceman to ever lead Flames in scoring